I'm teaching my cat

[Occulus]

to lay on an empty space on my computer desk. He's big, and smart- a Maine coon mix, so he's clever too- and he's doing what I tell him to.

Is this something cats usually do, or is it an expression of the nature of his breed?

Any vets want to contribute? Please? I'm just curious.....

Wow. He just tried to get in front of me, and I did the requisite "no" and pushed him back, and he stayed where he was supposed to until a sound near our front door pulled him away and across the room. I'd like to add that I seem to have taught him where to sit and lay on the desk and where not to, but it was much faster than I ever thought a cat could be taught and I've heard the Maine Coons are smart.

Can anyone verify this?

[Lars39]

1. I have a somewhat trained/trainable cat.

Every night she comes to me at the same time for me to put her to bed in the laundry room. I've trained her to do a few other things. She has sweet manners. :) Until I got her, I was used to the antics of Siamese cats. :crazy:

[Occulus]

6. I've heard Siamese have a territorial temper.

Is this true?

[Lithos]

2. As a mult-cat slave

I have a place where a couple of cats sometimes lay out behind the keyboard (monitor is on a hutch). I made it their spot and they seemed to understand it's theirs.



L-

[Occulus]

3. I was talking

not so much about time-trained behavior, but rather spontaneous commands from me in response to an irritating behavior on the part of the cat.

The cat seems to have learned, or at least tolerated, the commands when I gave them. I needed no more reinforcment than a "good boy" and a scratch or a quick rub along his jaw.
:shrug:

[Lars39]

4. Yep, that too!

I think mine reacts to tone of voice and guilt! :)

[Occulus]

5. weird, huh?

So this is all cats, and not just me?

We had another one named Mascot that died of a chronic severe uniary infection.... we simply couldn't afford the $700 it would have cost to keep him alive... a little longer.

Merlin, our other one, is very, very vocal... I don't know; maybe he got lonely when we sent Mascot into the great beyond. But it was after that that Merlin got 'smart', and I'm at a loss sometimes as to what to do about some of the things he pulls off...

[TheZoo]

7. "Mine" were trained by the movie Jaws

None of them come up onto the computer when I'm on it, but they all have this habit of settling around me - Barney on my left, Buttons on my right and Maggie behind me.

Everything is fine until Barney yowels for me to pet him. Buttons then goes after him, and Maggie goes after Buttons. Then I go after the three of them just to make sure no one hurts anyone. A year of this and I'm still worried; they have me well trained. I'm going out to buy the industrial strength catnip tomorrow for them.

BTW, did I mention that they're MARIE'S cats!?!?